Simran Sethi Joins ABC as EVP Development, Content Strategy

Ex-Netflix executive has joined ABC to guide all the comedy, drama, and long-form series development.

FREMONT, CA: ABC has hired respected programming executive Simran S. Sethi, most recently Netflix's director of International Originals, India and the Middle East as their new executive vice president (EVP), Development and Content Strategy.

Simran Sethi and president of ABC Entertainment Burke previously worked together during their respective tenures at the Disney-owned cable channel Freeform. She stepped into her new role at ABC on August 19.

Burke, president of ABC Entertainment, is excited and happy to welcome Sethi back to their Disney team, he believes that she has a keen passion for developing authentic stories. This exceptional taste of Sethi will guide the talented development team of ABC, to become a leader in quality story telling.

Sethi has served Netflix where she helped build up a roster of Indian originals for the global streaming company. The projects she managed were Ghoul, Salman Rushdie's Midnight Children, Typewriter, Sacred Games, Delhi Crime, and Baahubali. Before that, Sethi spent two years at Freeform, where she worked with Burke on projects like Marvel's Cloak & Dagger and the black-ish spin-off grown-ish, Siren, The Bold Type, among others. She was also a member in development at NBC, Adam Sandler's Happy Madison and Sony Pictures Television.

Under the new role of Sethi, all of ABC's comedy, drama, and long-form series development will be guided. Additionally, she will be charged with developing new content strategies for the network.

In a statement, Sethi conveyed her excitement and thrill to work with Karey Burke again. The ABC team, she continues, understands about the importance of legacy in the industry while delivering content to a wide range of audience. She looks forward to working with leadership that highly aims for the future, again.

Simran has a proven track record of finding and championing impactful series that resonate with viewers. She is a creative worker and has deep relationships across the industry. The joining of Sethi in ABC marks her return to broadcast five years after she left NBC.